Before Wendy Davis took to the floor of the Texas Senate for an 11-hour filibuster that ultimately failed to stop sweeping new restrictions on abortion, there was Casey. Shorthand for Planned Parenthood v. Casey, the 1992 U.S. Supreme Court case reaffirmed a woman’s right to an abortion but gave states more power to restrict the procedure to “further the health or safety of a woman." The 5-4 ruling, however, also said states can't enact “unnecessary” regulations that have the “purpose or effect” of imposing an undue burden on those seeking the procedure.

The first Sunday of Advent 2014, 14 months ago, we began a journey of reflection on the lives of consecrated women and men. As the Universal Church we have rejoiced with them and have shown our gratitude for their call to follow Jesus Christ in service to his Body, the Church.

A few weeks ago, I received a New Year’s card that read, “This will be the best year yet.” We Little Sisters of the Poor are fervently praying that 2016 will be remembered as the year we were able to return to our quiet lives at the service of the elderly after a happy resolution to our long legal struggle over the HHS Contraceptive Mandate.

Maybe you are considering the priesthood and you feel peaceful about following God’s call and applying for seminary. But what about your family and friends? What if they do not understand? What if they reject your choice, or—even worse—reject you?

The cheerful bed of marigolds 50 year-old Christopher Sanders planted at the Mother Teresa Shelter on Sam Rankin Street before his untimely death are part of the legacy he has left there. Marigolds are also planted on his grave at the cemetery in Flour Bluff where he was buried just days after he died in a situation police are still investigating.

"The men and women in consecrated life have generously answered his call to ministry. They were not called to serve themselves, but to serve the Body of Christ,” Bishop Michael Mulvey said as he closed out the Year of Consecrated Life at a Mass on Sunday, Jan. 31, at Corpus Christi Cathedral.

If you have not gone to confession in some time, you will have a great opportunity to remedy that situation on Friday-Saturday, March 4-5, when the Corpus Christi Cathedral will offer confessions for 24 continuous hours.

Relocating from Seattle to Corpus Christi for a great career opportunity might seem like a daunting task filled with endless details, but Cristal Rice said choosing a school for her five-year-old daughter Morgan was a top priority.

Bishop Michael Mulvey recently announced that the Bishop’s Guild would undertake a new mission as ambassadors for Catholic education. The Bishop’s Guild is an organization of Roman Catholic laypersons and other friends dedicated to helping the bishop of Corpus Christi meet critical needs within the diocese.

"Pray as if everything depends on God, work as if everything depends on you.” Sad to say, far too many people work as if everything does depend on them. You may even know a few of them—those who cannot delegate responsibility or whose dependability is compulsive.

Incarnate Word Academy observed 145 years of service to the community at its annual gala with the theme "Paradise Island" on Saturday, Feb. 27, at the American Bank Center. The sisters of the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament came to Corpus Christi in 1871 and within months opened a school.

The Council of Major Superiors of Women Religious is hosting its second annual Esposas de Cristo, Hijas de la Iglesia course this summer, June 27-July 8, at the Pax Christi Liturgical Retreat Center in Corpus Christi. The course is open to all Hispanic religious sisters in the Unite States.

St. John Paul II student Katie Cortinas entered art work and received Honorable Mention in the Art I - II category in the 2016 Visionarios Youth Art Contest sponsored by Flint Hills Resources and The Art Museum of South Texas.

Jared Gaza sealed a win at the TAPPS State Wrestling Championship with three pins, becoming St. John Paul II High School's first wrestling state champion. Gaza is now a two-time All-State Wrestler and a state champion. This week he will be representing the Centurions as the number one ranked wrestler in Texas at nationals.

On Tuesday, Feb. 23, 21 members of the St. John Paul II High School Health Careers Club attended the 14th Future Health Professionals Conference sponsored by the Texas A&M University Coastal Bend Health Education Center at Texas A&M University Corpus Christi. The conference was highly educational for students, and included group medical related presentations, visits to medical classrooms, hands-on lab experiences and participation in a mock disaster on campus, said club sponsor academic adviser Ted Garcia.

Father Peter Martinez, pastor of St. Paul the Apostle Parish, received the 2016 Bishop Carmody Award at the St. John Paul II High School Black & Gold Gala held at the American Bank Center on Feb. 20. Both Bishop Emeritus Edmond Carmody and Bishop Michael Mulvey were on hand to congratulate Father Martinez.

Incarnate Word Academy will host its 2016 Paradise Island Gala on Saturday, Feb. 27 at 6 p.m. at the American Bank Center. This is a landmark year for IWA, as 2016 marks 145 years since the Sisters of the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament, who will be honored at the event, opened the doors of Incarnate Word Academy in Corpus Christi and became part of the Coastal Bend community.